Fortune favours the brave: Liz's remarkable story

“I had a very remarkable recovery. So I was very, very fortunate,” fortunate is not a word that springs to mind when discussing cancer.

Liz Valentine is a cancer survivor. She is fortunate to have come out the other side of a diagnosis, but the luck ledger is well and truly skewed before that point: “I had breast cancer in 2016. It was grade three, aggressive structural carcinoma. I had 10 rounds of chemotherapy, followed by mastectomy. And then I had radiotherapy.

“I never opted for reconstruction. I decided against it. I've been very proactive in trying to maintain a positive life,” she says.

Maintaining the “fortunate” perspective is a challenge in the milieu of cancer treatment. That environment is very fraught: “Of all the friends I made during my cancer journey, two of them lost their lives due to the recurrence of breast cancer.

“Since then I've also lost several members of my family to cancer, not breast cancer, but with other related forms of cancer.”

Liz Valentine

Yet despite the spectre that looms over Liz's life she works hard to maintain her positivity. Her support network is a key component of that work.

What makes up the support network is not common to all cancer patients; it can be a family member, nursing staff or even a retailer who makes life a little more pleasant.

“It's about being sensitive to your customer's needs,” Sharon Devlin the proprietor of Cherche La Femme explains one of her core principles as a retailer.

As the proprietor of Longford's premier lingerie shops Sharon has built her reputation on customer service. Cherche La Femme specialises in women's lingerie, but working with post mastectomy clients is the most rewarding part of her business.

“My day to day business is about support,” she jests, “For women who have gone through cancer care and emerged the other side, that takes on a more profound meaning.”

Those women who have gone through the traumas associated with breast cancer come to Sharon for the wealth of experience she brings to her role: “I fit women after breast cancer post-surgery, we fit them for underwear and also for a breast prosthesis if required,” the business owner said of the service.

The number of lives being touched by cancer in this region is staggering. Sharon's work can bring over 200 women to Cherche La Femme every year. It's an essential service: “It brings a feeling of normality and it goes toward rebuilding self-confidence,” Sharon says.

Sharon Devlin, proprietor of Cherche La Femme

“It's a service that's not widely provided around the country. Women travel to us from the surrounding counties. Some women may have to go back to the hospitals for this particular service, that can be very hard for them; returning to where they got the initial bad news that they had breast cancer to begin with,” she explains.

For Sharon the customer's needs are more than just undergarments: “You really have to be a listener, to listen to people's stories. People who have had a very hard time on their journey to recovery. That has a profound effect on families, you have to lend a sympathetic ear.”

Late last year the Minister for Health, Stephen Donnelly, announced the implementation of plans to ensure that all women receive the same level of allowance for post-mastectomy and hair loss products after cancer-related treatment.

This means there will be no reduction to the current service provided to anyone and access is provided regardless of medical card eligibility: “Prior to this you had to have a medical card to avail of the service. Since the beginning of this year, any woman who has a breast cancer diagnosis is entitled to the service free of charge,” the Cherche La Femme proprietor explained.

“This will make a huge, huge difference to women who don't have medical cards. For most women who find themselves in this position these items are essential and having the HSE cover the costs is very valuable to them,” Sharon said.

For Liz Valentine work has played a part in her recovery: “I am an artist and a writer. I run a gallery in Boyle. My work is another important part of keeping myself positive.

Liz's life experience emphasises the importance of post-mastectomy support: “You lose a lot, apart from having undergone a really horrible experience, which potentially could have taken your life.”

She says the service offered by Cherche La Femme is not merely cosmetic: “You're then confronted with the loss of your body. A part of your body, which for some women, is a part of what being a woman is. I'm not saying that a breast identifies a woman, but it's about a fundamental issue of femininity.”

Liz says the service provides an opportunity to feel nice, and to feel attractive: “I'm very fortunate that I met with Sharon through Sligo Cancer Support. It's vitally important to have bras that are comfortable, and that are affordable.”

Such supports are important building blocks in maintaining a positive outlook: “Buying undergarments for post surgery women is not a small thing, you have to have underwear that is super comfortable. When you're wearing a bra that is not designed for a woman that's undergone mastectomy, it has a massive psychological effect on you.”

Liz explains that the assistance of Cherche La Femme is essential: “What I have got from Sharon is more than just the garment itself. A proper fitting bra is an essential part of every woman’s life, so it's important to get it right. It can be hard for some people to understand that, I even get very emotional talking about it.”

Located at 14 Dublin Street, Townparks, Longford Cherche La Femme offers a wide range of products, including bras of various styles and sizes, pyjamas, chemise, dressing gowns, hosiery, mastectomy bras and maternity bras, as well as featuring the top brands from around the world.

You can contact Cherche La Femme by phone on 083 405 1307.